Leather-folding machine



(No Model.) 2 shams-sheet 2.

EEQLUEKN. Y LEA'TEEE EOLDNG MACHINE.

Paftentd Man 4, 1884.".

A No; 294.394.

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NTTED" STATES PATENT CE1-ICE j RICHARD .LUFKIN, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-FOLDING MAcHlNE.

l,SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent N0.V294,394, datedMarch 4, 1884.

Application filed January 7, 1884. (No model.)

,upon the inventions described in Letters Patent of the United States numbered 191, 006 and 202,8?14, granted to me; andl it consists in the divers devices and combinations of mechanism hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed,

whereby the pressure of the fold-presser may at will, while the machine is in active operation, be relieved and restored, and conjointly therewith or independently thereof the cutting ldevices employed to slit the edge may also at will be rendered temporarily inoperative and restored to action by removing the cutting-block away from its vertically reciprocating and coacting blade, all for purposes hereinafter stated.

Figure 1 is a front side elevation of my machine embodying my present improvements.

. Fig. 2 is an under sidevview of the same. Fig.

3 is a sectional end elevation as viewed from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view from the right of Fig. 1, showing the connections between the driving-wheel and the presser-lever. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached view of one end of the rock-bar andv its attachments as viewed from the right of Fig. 3, and sectioned on line m x in said figure. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detached sectional view as viewed from the 'right 'of Fig. 5, and as on line y y therein. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the workplate, showing a plan thereof and of the sliding cutting-block fitted therein. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the cutting-block, &c., taken as on line z z, Fig. 7.

I have discovered by the practical use of my machine for folding the edges of leather that it is sometimes desirable tobe able to suspend the effective operation of the cutting devices employed for slitting the edges, and to renew the same at will while the machine is in active operation; also, to be able to relieve and restore the pressure upon the folded edge at `will while the machine is in active operation. Such temporary suspension of the effective operations of the cutting and pressing devices is desirable when two pieces are seamed together, and the edge beingfolded crosses such seam. When the pressing operations on the fold are thus suspended, it is desirable to be able to suspend the slitting operations 'at the same time. I have ytherefore constructed 'and arranged my improvements so as to be able-'thereby to effect these two results conjointly, while also providing for a separate and independent suspension of the cutting operations whenever desired, as hereinafter described.

I have heretofore pivoted the presser-lever A, Fig. 1, upon fixed bearings in the sides of the bed-plate B and adj ustably connected its long arm by means of a thumb-screw, C, se-

cured by a check-nut, D, to a pitman, E, Figs. 1, 4, which at its upper end is secured to the driving-wheel by a screw-stud, G, fitted in a slot in said pitman, in which there is also secured a spiral spring, H, against the resistance of whichsaid stud works, thereby affording a yielding pressure to the operative end of the presser-lever. The adjustment of lever A to pitmanE by means of thumb-screw C serves to regulate the `pressure end of lever A relatively to the work-plate and the thickness of leather supported thereon, so as to produce the requisite pressure on a piece of certain uniform thickness, while the yielding connection of pitman E with the drivingwheel just referred to serves to prevent undue pressure 4when slight inequalities in the thickness of the stockfoccurs. In my present Vimproved constructionI pivot the presser-lever A in a rock-bar, I, `which is mounted on pivotal bearings J J, fixed in the sides of the Vbed-'plate B, Fig. 2, and I pivot kthe presserlever upon centers K K, iiXed in short arms or projections'on said bar and eccentric to the axis of the bar, and thereby the rocking ofthe bar, as hereinafter described, raises and lowers the said supporting-centers of thepresserthe driving-wheel; but when so raised by the rock-bar I it is for the time rendered ineffective upon the folded edge, and when lowered thereby to its normal position its effectiveness upon the fold is restored.

To hold the lever' to its effective working position, a locking-lever, L, is pivoted to one of the short arms or projections of the rockbarI. Thislever has two arms at nearly right angles to each other, one extending from its pivot M downward, and the other horizontally beneath the bed-plate, and resting firmly up against the under side of the bed, and secured in that position by a counteracting-spring, N, which also has a bearing against the under side of the bed-plate, on the opposite side of the pivotal support of the rock-bar, while at its lower end it exerts the requisite expansive force upon a projecting seat extending from the rock-bar, being secured upon said scat by a screw projecting upward through the seat, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. By pulling the vertical arm of lever L up into a horizontal position, turning it on its pivot M, the rockbar I will be thereby released, and both by the action of the presser-lever on` the work-v plate or leather and the force of spring N the bar will be rocked into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the pressure end of lever A will be raised out of effective contact with the folded edge of the leather without i11- terrupting the feeding and folding operations of the machine or the vibrations of the lever,

as before stated, and when the rock-bar is thus released by the operator raising leverL, as described, the lever is so pulled up against the contractile force of a spring, O, one end of which is secured to said lever and its opposite end to the rock-bar, as shown,and which serves to return the lever instantly to its first position when released by the operator, and to hold it steadily in position, preventing any noisy rattle therefrom which might otherwise occur from the jarring of the machine in operation.

The horizontal arm I? of the locking-lever is extended and provided with a hole, as shown, through which it may be connected with a treadle when found more convenient to operate with the foot, as may sometimes be the case. The action of the lever and springs will be the same in that case as when operated by the hand of the operator, and the result the same, as is obvious.

The turning of the locking-lever L upon its pivot M, as just described, operates through the said rocking of bar I to suspend the effective operations of the pressure-lever upon the folded edge, and the release of lever L and its Q, Figs. l, 3, carrying a cutter, It, whose blade S co-operates with the edge of acutting-block, T,- Figs. 3, 7,' S. This block Thas heretofore been only adj ust-able in the work-plate by sliding back and forth t o regulate its relation to the blade S, and then securing it in such fixed position by a screw, U. Now, in order that I may be able to suspend the effective cutting operations when I suspend the pressing, as described, or independently of the pressing devices, if desired, I have secured the cutting-block T to a slide, V, Fig. 8, which slide in part projects downward through a slot in the bed-plate, and to such projection I secure an under slide, XV, which works in a recess in the under side of the bed-plate, as shown. From this under slide there projects downward a stud, v, which passes through a slot in a lever, a, Figs. 2, 3, pivoted to the under side of the bed atb, and the opposite end of which isjointed to a rod, c, which cxtends horizontally along the under side of the bed and passes out through the edge thereof at the front side of the machine, and is provided with a cap or knob, d, by which it may be operated. There is also a shoulder, e, formed upon said rod, which rests against a pin, f, that projects from and moves with lever L, so that when lever L is operated, as hereinbefore described, said pin f will act against shoulder e, and thereby force said rod c inward, which movement will rock lever a upon its pivot b, and thus, through the slides connected with its slotted end by stud y, will impart movement to the cutting-block T away from its coacting blade S, thereby suspending the effective cutting operations conjointly with the suspension of the pressing operations.

A spring, h, Fig. 2, having one end resting against a stop, i, on the under side of the bedplate, and its opposite end bearing against the lever a, counteracts the last described movement of said lever, and as soon as the lever L is released and allowed to return, as described, to its operative position against the bed and rock-bar, spring h, by its expansive force, immediately returns the parts connected with lever a to their first position, carrying the cutting-block into coaction with blade S, and thus instantly restoring the effective cutting operations. Vhen it is desired to thus suspend the cutting operation without interrupting the action of the pressing devices, it maybe done by simply pressing inward on knob d, which is free to move in that direction, carrying shoulder c away from pin f, and by such movement will produce precisely the same effect as if moved by pin f, as just described, as must be obvious without further explanation.

Having thus fully described the object, construction, mode of operation, and effect of my improvements, I claim as my invention'- 1. In a leather-folding machine, the combination of a fold-presser and means, substantially as described, whereby the effective op- IOO IIO

4294,394. y Y l e eration of such presser'may, at will, be suspended and' restored While the machine is in operation, as and for the purposes' set'forth.

2. In a leather-folding machine, a pressure- 5 lever, A, mounted upon movable centers, combined with means for moving its pivotal centers, and means, substantially as described, for'vibrating such lever, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

3. The combination of rock-bar I, pivoted to the bed-plate, fold-presser A, pivoted to the rock-bar, locking-lever L, also pivoted to said 4rock-bar, and arranged to secure the bar in position, and counteracting-spring N, allsub- 15 stantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a leather-folding machine, a cutting mechanism composed of a xed cutting-block and a coacting reciprocating cutter, combined with means, substantially as described, Whereby the effective operation of the cutting devices may at will be suspended and restored by a separation of the block from the reciprocating cutter While the machine is in active operation, substantially asv and for the pur- 2 5 poses specied.

5. In a leather-folding machine employing pressing and cutting devices, substantially as described, the combination therewith of means, substantially as described, whereby the effective voperations of such cutting and pressing 3o devices may-be conjointly suspended and restored, as and for the purposes specified.

6. The reciprocating cutter S, cutting-block T, arranged to slide as described, lever a, pivoted to the bed and connected with said block, 3 5 rod c, jointed to said lever and supported in a horizontal position by the bed, and the counteractingwspring h, combined and arranged to operate together substantially as and for the' purposes specified.

7. The combination ofthe pressing devices, comprisingv rock-bar I, fold-presser A, lever L, and spring N, the cutting devices comprising the cutter S, cutting-block T, lever a, rod e, and spring h, and means' whereby said cut- 4 5 ting and pressing devices are connected and conjointly operated, as and for the purposes specified.

RICHARD H. IJUFKIN. vVitnesses:

EUGENE HUMPHRE'Y, T. W. PORTER. 

